March 31, 2011

The quest for the holy grail a.k.a. adventures in locating the mythical Naked Palette.

Like a lot of beauty bloggers I know, I can get a bit obsessive about makeup. If there's a certain product I have my eye on I will stalk it non-stop, talk about it to anyone that will listen, even dream about it (!) until it's finally mine...

This is the story of one such obsessive period when I just had to have the Urban Decay Naked Palette and the hunt for it through the streets of Europe (it's a long post broken up with pics from the trip, so I completely understand if you don't have time to read it all and want to move on...)


Late last year the husband & I went travelling through Europe ...While planning our trip 3 words kept leaping into my thoughts: Sephora and Naked Palette. There is no Sephora nor Urban Decay in Australia, hence my excitement. 


Rome, Italy
  • Google nearest Sephora store...hmmm, only 2.2 kms from hotel, surely we can sightsee our way towards Sephora?
  • After throwing coins in the Trevi, eating Gelato on the Spanish Steps and strolling along Via Corso, we "just happened" upon Sephora.
  • I rush in like a madwoman (husband left standing outside holding my gelato),  head straight to the UD stand while getting my wallet out... and... empty!
  • Never mind, this is the start of our trip... 2 more countries and 6 more cities to go.

At the Colosseum - on lips, Revlon Pink Pout
 Spain
  • In Barcelona find a Sephora store near Las Ramblas, it's huuuggeee, which can only mean it will have stocks of the Naked Palette! Head straight to UD counter... and... the Naked stand is, well, naked!
  • Head to Sephora in El Cortes Ingles in Madrid, walk straight to the... wait a minute, there is no Urban Decay counter! What the *&*# kind of Sephora doesn't stock UD??? Starting to feel dejected.
  • In Granada get ripped off by a gypsy, don't even bother looking for a Sephora, go to the Moroccan teahouses and drown my sorrows in extra sweet Moroccan mint tea.
Drowning my sorrows in a Moroccan teahouse in Granada

France
  • Arrive in Nice, checked in luggage no-where to be found. It had decided to travel to Geneva instead (AlItalia helped along the way).
  • Lucky I'm carrying my make-up case in my hand luggage. Smart. Sure I don't have anything to wear but at least I'll have perfect make-up.
  • Decide to cheer myself up by finding Sephora and surely buying the Naked Palette. This is France after all, and if anyone will stock it, Sephora.FR will. Nope.
  • Two days later get reunited with my Swiss travelling bag, but it too hadn't found the Naked Palette on its travels.
  • 
    Dark sunnies to hide the sadness over lost bag
    
  • In Marseille head to 3 Sephora stores all within 1km of our hotel (we chose well!), but no Naked Palette.
  • Arrive in Paris... this is it, I can feel it! Go to countless Sephora stores, with every empty stand get more and more dejected...
  • 
    Despite the happy facade, still haven't found the palette.
    
  • On 2nd last day in Paris walk past a tiny nondescript Sephora store. Don't even bother going in, what's the point anyway?
  • Husband encourages me to go in. I think he just wants to get out of the rain...
  • I walk in, walk towards the UD counter, even without looking I'm ready to walk out when... there it is! Shiny! New! Everything I had hoped it would be and more!
  • Completely forget how my wallet comes out of bag, how I pay for it, what we did and where we went after buying the palette, all I know is I had finally found it.

It took me 3 countries, 7 cities, 100s of Sephora stores and 1 extremely understanding husband to find the Naked Palette.

What obsessive lengths have you gone to to find something you want?

24 comments :

  1. this was epic. and yet i imagine your travel was easier than it is to find the damn thing online nowadays :/

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  2. I loved reading this! Glad you found it.

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  3. What a good idea to combien your trip and your quest for the elusive Naked palette in one post! Personally, I got mine about 1 month and a half ago. It is a good basic to have in your stash! I<m glad you found it! Enjoy!

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  4. Thanks girls, can't believe you actually got through my extremely long post! Thank you! and yes, it was definitely elusive but oh so worth it :)

    Lilit
    xo

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  5. I covet that Palette - I have been looking online for it. I'd love to read your review of it (although I suspect it's just going to have words like, gorgeous, lovely, fabulous) and see your arm full of smeared colour samples.

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  6. haha i love this post! really funny, glad u found the palette!!

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  7. My stories might have been interesting, but yours blows it out of the water. Definitely nothing so epic!

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  8. What a grand tale! I think I'm going to have to go on a Naked Palette hunt next time I head overseas

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  9. That was brilliant post! So glad you found it in the end :)

    Dee x

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  10. Wow I love this post, it's awesome. :)

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  11. your killing me here second time in a week i saw something on your blog and went and bought it online lol i went on an all out quest to find the entire barbie mac collection

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  12. Wow, more of you read through my long and epic post, thank you!

    @Kathbear - I think some shops on Amazon still had it if you haven't found it yet. And you're right, I can't do anything more to review this palette than what's already out there.

    @The Fancy Lady - oh no, I'm starting to feel bad about being an enabler. That said I hope whatever you ended up buying meets your expectations! Crazy how obsessed we can get over cosmetics... damn makeup companies! LOL

    Lilit
    xo

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  13. Hey, I tagged you to do the lipstick tag :)

    http://vintagemakeup.blogspot.com/2011/04/lipstick-tag.html

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  14. Cutest blog post ever, now I must ask- was all the running around worth it? I love my naked palette, so glad I nabbed it=)

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  15. @emma - it's totally worth it babe, i'm sure you understand!
    Lilit xo

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  16. Oh my... what a heartfelt and cute story. I love your adventure and admire your perseverance and sacrifices in order to get the Naked Palette. Not forgetting to mention what a patient, understanding husband you have. Lucky, Lucky girl! ^_*

    Had it been my husband in your husband's shoes, he would have grumbled and demanded me to forget about it entirely. :p

    Well,I have a confession. I, myself had only managed to get Naked YESTERDAY. Yup, I've been searching and searching for about 7 months now. But hey I finally had my hands on it. Now that I have it, I don't seem to be that much in love with it. *whoops*

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  17. @smolderPhloof - oh trust me, my husband did grumble away quite a lot but then he realised how obsessed I was with it so he just went along with it.

    You know what, after spending ages to locate it you'd think I'd be using it constantly... but no... i'm trying to delude myself thinking that when summer is here i'll use it more as the colours are quite warm and summery but reality is I'll prob find a new obsession!

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  18. Well, I bought it. Lusting after it for so long - I bit the bullet and bought it. Only arrived in the post this morning so haven't had a chance to use it but I'm in love with it just looking at those beautiful colours - all of which are good for me (except maybe the grey on the end - will have to test it out and perhaps be careful where/how I use it).

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  19. @Kath - woohoo, it's great isn't it! I haven't used that grey either, it's a bit too blue toned for me but all other colours are perfect. Have fun creating different looks with them.

    Lilit
    xo

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  20. Loved reading your quest :) Mine ended a bit tragically.UDNP is not available in my part of the world so bought it (not won it) on ebay at a ridiculous price. It came after 1 month all shattered :( I`m still in mourning.

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  21. Hilarious post ! I live in Belgium, Europe and we also do not haven Sephora nor Urban Decay. I live close to France but rarely get there. So, when I went to the USA for a month, the only thing that mattered was finding the Naked Palette. Like you, it took me 4 states, 6 cities, countless Sephora's to eventually find it in a Sephora right next to my hotel in Las Vegas. Aaa faaith :d ! I thing my boyfriend never wants to see a Sephora ever again. Love your blog btw !

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  22. I realize this post is old, but I just happened upon your blog and I love it. I had a similar experience tracking UD Naked down here in Canada. When my parents went to Italy last summer, I made sure I showed my mom what the pallette looked like and what to ask for. She didn't have any luck in the big cities, but by some miracle, there was ONE LEFT in the Sephora in our tiny Southern town. She scooped it right up for me :)

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    Replies
    1. I hope you use your NP more than I use mine now! After all that it's sitting in my draws somewhere replaced by other palettes. Glad that your mum managed to find it for you though :-)

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